Exploring chemical composition, anti-acetylcholinesterase, and anticancer activities of Pistacia atlantica Desf

Context: The Atlas Pistachio (Pistacia atlantica Desf.) possesses numerous applications for therapeutic purposes. Objective: We set out to test various extracts from Pistacia atlantica Desf. fruits and leaves for their anticancer and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effects. In addition to discovering the phytochemical profile of P. atlantica extracts responsible for the pharmacological effects that were researched. Materials and methods: The anti-acetylcholinesterase activity was performed against the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. Anticancer assays were investigated by evaluating the antiproliferative and cytotoxicity potentials against five cancerous cell lines using the [3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] (MMT:Medical training therapy) assay. The phenolic profile was established against phenolic standards using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). Results: In anticholinesterase activity, the extracts of P. atlantica inhibited AChE activity in a dose-dependent manner. The stronger AChE inhibition activity was obtained for the n-BuOH extract of the fruits (IC50 47.80 ± 1.03 µg/mL) and compared to the leaf extracts. The results, compared with galantamine, showed a close inhibition activity. P. atlantica extracts also showed the most optimal antiproliferative and cytotoxic effect against cancer cell lines compared to positive control 5FU (Fluorouracil); the best antiproliferative activity was obtained for the fruit extracts compared to the leaf extracts. The spotted biological activities can be attributed to flavonoids and phenolic compounds in the extracts. The HPLC-DAD analysis identified the presence of 18 phytochemicals. The main compounds detected were luteolin, gallic acid, epicatechin, and protocatechuic acid. Discussion and conclusion: This study demonstrated moderate anticholinesterase and suitable antiproliferative activities of P. atlantica Desf. extracts, which opens up new possibilities for the pharmaceutical and food industries. This study suggests that the concentrations of phenolic compounds, along with the results of anticholinesterase and antiproliferative activities found in the fruit and leaf extracts of P. atlantica Desf, indicate this plant holds promise for pharmaceutical and food application industries. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.